The 'Home Office' - Netflix job

Founded in 2007 by René Kornfeld and Georg Zumann, Viennese company Innenhofstudios is now one of Austria’s most sought-after recording studios.  As with so many Viennese companies, however, the coronavirus pandemic presented great challenges for the studio. “Being only a small company, we weren’t in a position to simply cancel bookings during the pandemic”, explains Zumann. “We would probably have lost many of our customers if we hadn’t found a way to supply our usual high-quality service while adhering to COVID regulations.” To prevent this outcome, Innenhofstudios secured funding under the Vienna Business Agency’s Home Office program in spring 2020. They then used this investment to take their next step forward as a company and offer a new remote studio service – a move that has clearly paid off.

Next stop – Netflix

In summer 2020, streaming service Netflix hired the Vienna recording studio to complete the sound mixing for their in-house production of “The Dig”, starring two-time Oscar nominee Ralph Fiennes. The additional infrastructure meant the studio was able to successfully complete this project. The owners of the recording studio were encouraged by this development, and decided to take the further step of investing – in the middle of the greatest economic crisis since 1945.

3D audio, made in Vienna

Funding from the Vienna Business Agency made it possible for the recording studio to be adapted for sound production using the high-end Dolby Atmos technology. Dolby Atmos is a 3D sound format (also called spatial audio, 3D audio or immersive audio), where the sound is positioned and panned in all three room dimensions.

“Previously, the usual method involved hiring a studio the size of a cinema auditorium to mix 3D film audio. This meant that a film with cinema sound just didn’t have the same effect when watched at home in your living room”, explains sound-wizard Kornfeld. “Since our studio is more or less the size of the average living room, we can deliver a sound experience that’s optimised for home users – a great sales point for streaming providers such as Netflix, Amazon or Apple.” Currently the only Dolby Atmos Home certified recording studio within a 300-km radius, the Viennese company is keen to start operating internationally, especially in the CEE region.

USP: music

Their latest coup has taken entrepreneurs Kornfeld and Zumann back to their roots in music. With the only Dolby Atmos Home certified studio in Vienna, the pair can now mix music in 3D audio as well. The music streaming services of Tidal and Amazon have now been joined by Apple Music in releasing tracks in Dolby Atmos. “We are getting contracts from major labels like Universal Music as well as independent artists. An enormous market has opened up, with numerous older recordings and classics now being converted into the new format. Releasing tracks in immersive audio is a fantastic way for new Viennese performers to stand out from the crowd and make their mark on the international music scene”, concludes Zumann.

The Vienna Business Agency’s services:

• Funded by the Young Entrepreneur 2007 programme
• Funded by the Home Office 2020 programme
• Funded by the Creative Project 2020 programme

Company:

Innenhofstudios GmbH
Schwarzspanierstrasse 15/5/2
1090 Vienna
https://innenhofstudios.at/